PAPER 3

As Meena came nearer to the bus stop, she suddenly saw something that made her
stop in her tracks. Her good friend, Thevi, who was just walking behind her, almost collided
with her. Thevi turned to look crossly at her friend.

"Meena, I d thank you not to daydream as you are walking. These sudden stops and
starts are most startling for whoever happens to be walking behind you," Thevi fumed.

"Thath not fair," Meena protested. "I only stopped once..."

"Yes," Thevi interrupted "and that almost resulted in both of us forming a human
pile-up in the middle of the pavement! Why on earth did you halt so abruptly?"

Meena felt a bit embarrassed as she considered how best she should reply to this
question. The truth was, she had seen something at the bus stop that had caused her to
want to turn around and walk in the other direction. What she had seen was an old lady
in a wheelchair, who was waiting for her bus at the bus stop. Since young, Meena had
always felt an irrational unease when she was in the company or vicinity of people who
had to use wheelchairs to get around. She could not explain this phenomenon to herself,
although she did feel ashamed that she felt this way. How was she supposed to explain
this to Thevi?

Surprisingly, Thevi, after looking ahead of them to the scene at the bus stop, said
to Meena, "Did you stop because you saw that lady sitting in her wheelchair?"

Meena was shocked. Thevi was indeed her best friend-she could even discern such
a thing, without any explanation on Meena's part! Meena was secretly grateful that she
did not need to resort to lengthy explanations ofher irrational fear to Thevi, and contented
herself with simply nodding her head vigorously.

Thevi sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry. I guess I would have stopped as suddenly as you did,
too. What a hard life Mrs Wong has led! I can't believe it either, seeing her in this state.
Why do you suppose she is now in a wheelchair, Meena? She used to be the life and soul
of our classroom!"

For a moment, Meena was utterly lost, and wondered what Thevi was babbling on and
on about. After a moment's silence, she looked at the lady once again, and saw a familiar
face that she had not seen in four years, ever since leaving Braddell Close Primary School.

"My goodness! You're right! It s Mrs Wong, our form teacher! I can hardly believe
it! Shall we go up and say hello t<i her?" Meena exclaimed.

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